


You Will Be Fine (We Will Be Fine)

by Lumeleo



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Alpha Sanada Genichirou, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Developing Relationship, Discussion of Abortion, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Miscarriage, Omega Atobe Keigo, Past Sexual Assault, Psychological Trauma, Teen Pregnancy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-07
Updated: 2018-11-09
Packaged: 2019-07-27 18:41:29
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 18,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16225022
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lumeleo/pseuds/Lumeleo
Summary: When Sanada finds Atobe feeling miserable, he wants to help. Even if that means becoming a father to a child he didn't sire and protecting Atobe from anyone who would try to hurt Atobe again.





	1. An Offer of Water (An Offer of Help)

**Author's Note:**

> Please note that this story contains alpha/omega dynamics, possessive/protective behavior, scenting, and other instinctive behavior. It also contains discussion of past rape, depictions of trauma, violence and attempted sexual assault. The story also contains unwanted underage pregnancy, miscarriage, and discussion of abortion.
> 
> Please read accordingly.

It wasn’t that Sanada had expected to be the only one awake so early in the morning, not really. The practice camp was full of people with rather strict exercise regimens, so it wasn’t unthinkable at all that someone else might be waking up early as well. What he hadn’t expected, though, was finding Atobe of all people in the bathroom, sitting on the floor and looking rather miserable.

“…Atobe?” Atobe started at the sound, and Sanada cursed inwardly. Perhaps he should have just walked away. “Are you all right?”

“Just peachy, thanks.” Atobe did not sound like it, and Sanada wasn’t going to ignore it. “I absolutely love throwing up everything I’ve eaten in the last few weeks.”

“There’s no need to get snippy with me.” Sanada paused, then stepped closer. “Here.” His water bottle was mostly empty after his morning run, but he supposed it would be enough to at least get the taste out of his mouth.

Atobe gave him a wary look, but then accepted the bottle. He didn’t exactly look much better afterwards, but he did at least nod at Sanada. “…Thanks.”

“Don’t mention it. Wouldn’t want you to get dehydrated.” Sanada took the bottle back, walking over to refill it from the tap. Atobe didn’t look like he was going to get up to his feet just yet. “You should just go to the doctor if you’re sick.”

“I can’t believe you of all people are talking to me about being sensible about my health.” Despite his wry tone, Atobe accepted the refilled bottle with a grateful look. “But no, I’m not sick.”

“Is it something you ate, then?” Though they had all been eating the same food at the camp, he wouldn’t have put it past Atobe to have some special treats.

“No.” Atobe seemed to hesitate for a moment, then shook his head. “And here I was thinking you’re smarter than this.”

“What do you mean?” Sanada frowned. “Unless you mean to imply that you have been drinking in the middle of a practice camp and are now paying for it, but I like to think you’re better than that.”

“Oh, no. Nothing like that.” Atobe shook his head, looking rather pale. “Think, Sanada. Why exactly would an omega be throwing up at six in the morning?”

“…I don’t follow.” He shook his head. “Explain.”

Atobe rolled his eyes as though utterly exasperated with his supposed stupidity. “I’m pregnant, you idiot.”

“Really?” Sanada lifted his eyebrows. “I thought you were smarter than that. Or do they not teach sex education at Hyoutei?”

Atobe smirked, but it wasn’t a happy look. “I wasn’t exactly given a choice in the matter.”

It took Sanada a moment to put together the dots. As the implications caught up with him, though, he froze. “You…”

“Yes, yes, I’m pathetic. Now shoo, go laugh at me somewhere else.”

“I would never.” Sanada clenched his fists. He couldn’t imagine Atobe would believe that of him, but he reminded himself it wasn’t an insult aimed at him. Certainly he couldn’t be upset about it. “If someone hurt you, it’s not your responsibility.”

“I wish it were that simple.” Atobe sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand over his face. “You know people aren’t going to see it like that. Either I should have stopped him, or I was probably asking for it somehow.”

“Then people are wrong.” Sanada crouched down. Looming over Atobe did not seem like a good approach, given the circumstances. “Have you told anyone?” Was Sanada the first person to hear this? Surely not, not with all the people who surrounded Atobe. Something this personal, this important, should not get shared with a mere acquaintance in a cold bathroom early in the morning.

“What would that accomplish?” Great. Sanada had thought he couldn’t feel more nauseous about this, but he’d clearly been wrong. “At best, people will assume I just changed my mind after being careless and am trying to save face by ruining some poor alpha’s life with false accusations. At worst, my own reputation will be torn apart.” Atobe shook his head, looking away. “Best for everyone if I keep my mouth shut.”

“…That’s wrong.” And yet, he couldn’t truly say anything to disprove Atobe’s point. “It shouldn’t happen.”

“Of course it shouldn’t. But if the world was all fair and good, I wouldn’t have to worry about some smug alpha pinning me down to teach me a lesson about getting too uppity in the first place.” Atobe gave a broken laugh. “Can’t fault his logic, really. There’s no way I’m going to forget that I’m an omega any time soon.”

“Atobe…” What was he supposed to say, really? Assure Atobe that not all alphas were like that? That would have only made matters worse. And yet, he wanted to do something, anything, to make Atobe feel even a bit less miserable. “What are you going to do?”

“I don’t know. I just… I don’t know.” With another broken chuckle, Atobe slowly got to his feet. “Stop spilling my heart out to the first person who finds me curled up on the floor would be a good start, I suppose, but clearly I’m not that sensible.”

“I will not speak a word of this.” Which really should have been a given, but he knew Atobe probably needed to hear it. “Just… if there’s anything I can do…” Not that he could think of anything he could do to make things any easier for Atobe, but he wanted to at least make the offer.

“Honestly? Listening to me whine without hating me for this mess is already helping.” Atobe wouldn’t quite look at him. “…Well. Assuming you don’t hate me.”

“Never.” Sanada shook his head. “It would be quite dishonorable of me to think any less of you for being hurt. If it helps, I will listen to whatever you wish to say.” He paused, then added, “Though I may not be able to offer you any solutions.”

“Look out. I might actually take you up on that offer, and believe me, you’re going to get sick of my whining soon enough.” Atobe hesitated, looking down at the water bottle still in his hand. “Ah. You’re probably not going to want this back right now.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s hardly the only one I have.” Which was probably even more true for Atobe, the man who had everything, but that was besides the point. “…I would ask you if you’ll be fine, but that’s probably a stupid question.”

“I’ll let you know when I figure it out.” Not an excellent answer, but he could hardly expect anything better given the circumstances.

“Hn.” Sanada nodded. “…Don’t push yourself.”

“Oh, please.” Atobe smirked, and though his eyes still looked somewhat haunted, at least he was closer to his usual self. “Have you even met me?”

Well. Clearly Atobe was going to find his way to being fine, one way or another.

*

By the time he got to breakfast, Sanada was starting to wonder if he hadn’t just imagined the whole encounter.

Not that he had any particular reason to imagine one of his greatest rivals in absolute misery, but the whole thing seemed too unreal to be anything but some early morning delusion. Besides, Atobe was at breakfast, being his usual loud and attention-demanding self. Sanada was doing his best not to stare, of course, but it was still hard not to notice. Atobe was always hard to ignore, really, but that was rather the point. It was impossible to imagine this loud, shining creature curled up in a ball of nausea and self-loathing.

His water bottle was still missing, though. If this was a dream, it was a rather realistic one.

He saw the bottle again during practice matches later in the day. Atobe seemed no different from his usual self, confidence bordering on arrogance challenging the world to prove him wrong, but that was definitely Sanada’s water bottle sticking out of his bag. In some twisted way, it made Sanada feel a little better about the situation. Not that this was in any way about him, but at least it made him feel slightly less helpless. He couldn’t fight this battle for Atobe, couldn’t even hunt down the bastard who would dare try to push Atobe down with force when they clearly just couldn’t stand being so inferior to him. If what little help he could offer was the slightest bit comforting to Atobe, though, it was better than being entirely useless.

Any doubts about the reality of that morning was banished when Atobe marched over once they were both done with their current matches, sitting down on the bench next to him. A couple of Hyoutei players gave them questioning glances, but turned away with one glare from their captain. For all his less admirable qualities, Atobe had always been a passable captain.

“You asked me what I’m going to do.” Atobe’s voice was quiet, enough so that nobody could eavesdrop, though his expression was still his usual mask of smug haughtiness as he looked over to the still ongoing matches. “The thing is, a part of me claims there should be nothing to decide. Carrying the child to term is obviously a horrible choice. Having a child in high school? My reputation will be utterly ruined. Even if I don’t get kicked out of school outright, I certainly won’t be allowed to continue as captain, never mind work on the student council. Not that it’s going to matter much, anyway, considering how much time I’d have to take off tennis and how long it would take to get back to my previous level.”

“So… you plan not to keep it?” Sanada felt rather awkward even saying this, but clearly Atobe wouldn’t have brought it up if he wasn’t prepared to discuss it.

“This shouldn’t even be a question.” Atobe sounded much more tired than he should have been, but Sanada supposed he couldn’t blame him. “I don’t want to let that bastard have any more influence over my life, and it’s not like anyone needs to know. I wouldn’t even need to visit a local doctor. All I need to do is visit my grandmother in England for a week or two, and by the time I get back the problem will be gone.”

“It’s your choice.” One that Sanada couldn’t even imagine facing, but then, he never would. If he were to ever have a child, he would not be the one to bear it.

“I know it is. But is it really a choice if the only alternative is letting my reputation and life go down the drain?” Atobe sighed. It could have been just Sanada reading too much into things, but it seemed the hand holding a water bottle hovered over Atobe’s perfectly flat stomach for just a moment before coming up again. “At the moment it just feels like another burden he’s placed on me. First I couldn’t choose not to be touched by him, then I couldn’t choose not to get pregnant, and now I can’t even choose what to do about the whole mess.”

“Is that what you want to do, then?” Sanada looked out to the courts, now. Atobe hardly needed the added pressure of his gaze. “Keep the child?”

“Honestly? I don’t know.” Atobe gave another sigh. “I’m… trying not to think about it too much. If I let myself think I want it, it’s only going to be more painful when I have to do otherwise. So, no, I don’t know if that’s what I want to do. I just wish I had the luxury of actually weighing my options rather than simply doing what I must.”

“You should have that.” They were hollow words, echoing empty even in his own ears, and Sanada hated that he couldn’t offer anything better. “It should be a basic right, not a luxury.”

“I told you, the world isn’t either fair or good.” Atobe gave a bitter laugh. “I suppose I should just focus on being grateful he didn’t saddle me with some sort of a disease as well.”

“You can figure it out.” Sanada might not have had any particular talent in weaving together pretty words, but at least he could try to fill his voice with all the conviction he felt. “Knowing you, you will come up with some third option that manages to sidestep all the issues.”

“Unfortunately, this is a rather binary issue.” Still, Atobe managed at least a smirk in response, even if it wasn’t a very happy one. “Either I have the child or I don’t. There isn’t a happy middle ground available.”

“Then change the circumstances of your choice.” Not that Sanada had any idea of how that might happen, but then, he had never claimed to be terribly imaginative in the first place. “You are Atobe Keigo. Turning things to your advantage is what you do.”

“Careful. I might soon start to think you actually don’t hate me.” Atobe gave a brief laugh. Sanada might have been rather hopeless with the social side of things, but he was fairly sure he wasn’t supposed to offer his opinions on Atobe at this juncture.

The time for that came later, after Atobe had gone off somewhere and a mischievous-looking Niou approached him instead. “So, hey.” Niou smirked, the hopeless idiot. “You finally come to terms with your feelings for Atobe?”

“I have no idea what you mean.” Oh, he certainly knew what Niou was trying to insinuate, but that hardly merited any comment. “Nothing has changed with Atobe and me.”

“Oh, please.” Niou snorted. “Half the tennis circuit is convinced you’re already fucking. Well, those who don’t think you’re in some twisted battle for Tezuka, anyway.”

“That would be rather awkward, considering Tezuka seems quite happy in Germany.” Sanada frowned. “Clearly you don’t have enough to do if you’re going to focus on useless gossip. Perhaps some laps would help?”

Niou disappeared rather quickly at that, though some of his words still lingered in Sanada’s mind. He might not have been terribly imaginative, but he liked to think he knew how to work with what he was given.

Perhaps he should make some inquiries.

*

“I have been thinking.”

Atobe liked to think he was being very virtuous for not actually saying something snappy about hurting himself. Instead, he leaned back against the chainlink fence, taking a sip of his water bottle as Sanada settled next to him. The little parasite was making him way too tired. “About?”

“This. You.” Sanada paused, no doubt trying to find the best way of putting his message in as few words as possible. “You said you would like to have a choice. Regarding things.”

“Too bad there’s nothing either of us can do.” Atobe sighed, tapping his finger against the water bottle. “I should stop putting it off and get it over with. Right after camp, probably.” And yet, the mere thought made him feel sick to his stomach. Or maybe it was just the morning sickness still lingering, who knew.

“There is another option.” Sanada sounded awfully serious. “Clearly, the hit to your reputation would be much less severe if you were not a single parent.”

“Please tell me you’re not suggesting what I think you are.” Atobe grimaced. “I’ll jump off a bridge before I voluntarily allow that bastard anywhere near me again, never mind give him any claim on anything to do with me.”

“I would never.” Sanada frowned. “However, people seem to be under the impression that you and I are involved, anyway.”

Atobe did not drop his water bottle, but it was damn close. “Wait. Are you actually suggesting that I tell people it’s your kid?”

“It wouldn’t be too unbelievable.” Sanada’s expression was entirely serious. “People would just take it as confirmation of their gossip. Certainly, it still wouldn’t be entirely proper, but a youthful error is much more forgivable than a young bearer with no sire to name for their child.”

“This isn’t something as simple as playing doubles with me for a match.” Atobe wasn’t sure he could adequately express his disbelief through his voice and expression alone. “Your own reputation would suffer. Not as much as mine, sure, but more than enough, and you would actually have to be involved in the process or be despised as a deadbeat.”

Sanada actually folded his arms over his chest, frowning. “What would give you the impression that I do not plan on being involved?”

“You actually have to ask?” Atobe scoffed. “You have your own life to live, with tennis and school and your family. I’m not going to drag you into my mess just to make things slightly easier for myself.”

“Oh, my family will not be a problem.” As Atobe glanced at him in question, Sanada gave some small approximation of a shrug. “I actually called my brother to ask him how our parents would likely react if I were to hypothetically become a father. He assured me they would support me as long as I conduct myself with honor and dutifulness.”

“Wait, what?” Atobe blinked. He must have heard wrong somehow. “You… asked him about that? Are you trying to get in trouble with your family or something?”

“Why would I?” Sanada looked genuinely baffled. “I told him it was hypothetical.”

“Even if you say it’s hypothetical, people tend to think you actually mean it and are just trying to dodge the issue.” Atobe was pretty sure he was going to have a headache. “It’s like saying you’re asking for a friend.”

“That wouldn’t make any sense.” Sanada’s brows drew together in confusion. “Why would I ask him how our parents would react to a friend of mine having a child? It would be pointless.”

And, really. How was Atobe going to argue with something like that?


	2. A Turn for the Worse (A Turn for the Better)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems the choice has been stolen from Atobe in the cruelest way possible. However, it seems fighting is in his blood, and has been passed down.

As it turned out, Atobe didn’t even get the luxury of making his choice, however imbalanced it had been in the first place.

A part of Sanada wondered who Atobe would have turned to if he hadn’t more or less accidentally revealed his secret to Sanada. As it was, Sanada found his phone buzzing while he was watching a match. He had noticed that Atobe had finished his own match very quickly, rather unlike his usual slow battle of attrition. After that Atobe had disappeared, no doubt seeking a break. He had looked tired before, and as such, Sanada was trying not to be too concerned when he opened his phone and saw a message from Atobe.

Of course, that was nothing compared with the sudden dread he felt when he read the message. ‘I need help.’

Sanada was not sure how his friends explained his absence for the rest of the day, but at the moment he did not really care. Atobe clearly had nobody else to turn to at the moment, and if all Sanada could do was sit in the waiting room at a doctor’s clinic, he was going to be right there. Goodness knew he wasn’t going to let his rival trying to get himself to a doctor when Atobe had barely managed to say anything beyond some shaky words about bleeding.

Atobe looked even paler than usual when he finally rejoined Sanada. His hands were stuck in the front pocket of his hoodie, and Sanada was fairly sure he was holding his stomach underneath the fabric. They exchanged a glance, and Sanada stood up. Clearly Atobe needed some fresh air and a listening ear, whenever he was ready to speak, anyway.

As it turned out, Atobe stayed quiet until they had made it out of the hospital and over to a nearby park. There, Atobe sat down on a bench, looking down at the ground as Sanada sat next to him.

“So… I’m losing it.” Atobe kicked at the ground. “Basically, they told me to go home and let things take their course. Nothing to be done. Unless things get worse, they just want me back in two weeks or so for a follow-up.”

“…Hn.” Sanada wasn’t sure what he was supposed to say. Though really, if Atobe was looking for comforting words, he had clearly turned to the wrong man.

“I should be happy, or relieved, or… something.” Atobe sighed, his eyes closing. “I mean, this saves me from having to make any decisions. I’ll have to miss the rest of the camp, but soon enough I can just forget about it all. No chance of regret, since it was never my choice either way.”

“You’re not, though.” Even if it hadn’t been clear from Atobe’s body language, he doubted Atobe would have brought this up if he had indeed been happy.

“I’m not sure what I’m feeling.” Atobe bit his lip. “Maybe I’m just stupid or something, not knowing what’s good for me.”

“…It’s another choice you didn’t get to make.” At least, it was the best guess Sanada could make. “This whole thing has taken away some of your control over yourself and your life. It’s not stupid of you to be upset that another choice was taken from you.”

“That… might be at least part of it.” Atobe managed a small smile, though it was rather ruined by the tears starting to appear from under his lashes. “Hey, at least you won’t have to involve yourself in all this.”

“This is not about me.” He was certainly not the one in pain at the moment, literal or otherwise. “For the record, my offer of help still stands. Even if there’s very little I can do.” Not that he saw any reason why Atobe would turn to him anymore, considering how utterly useless Sanada had been so far.

“Well, you will certainly get asked about why I’m not returning to the camp. I would appreciate it if you didn’t spread any details.”

“Of course not. I would not divulge your private information no matter what.” Sanada nodded. “Anything else?”

“Ah.” Atobe seemed to hesitate, which in itself was something of a shock. “I… would appreciate if you could accompany me to the follow-up appointment. There isn’t exactly anyone else I can ask, and…” Atobe trailed off, opening his eyes only to look at the ground.

“Right.” Even if Atobe couldn’t bring himself to say it, Sanada didn’t need to be told that nobody should face such things alone. “…I’m sorry.”

Atobe opened his mouth as though to say something, then closed it again. He slumped a little, leaning towards Sanada almost imperceptibly. After a moment of silence, Atobe was leaning against Sanada’s shoulder.

Well. If all he could do was stay strong and steady while Atobe cried without sound, Sanada was going to stay right there as long as he was needed.

*

When Sanada had agreed to accompany Atobe for his follow-up appointment, he hadn’t really expected to be, well, accompanying him.

Sanada had been perfectly prepared to simply provide some moral support while Atobe waited to be seen, as he had the previous time. Instead, Atobe took his arm and tugged him along as Atobe was called in, and Sanada was hardly going to protest. Though then, he supposed things had been quite different a week ago, with the emergency nature of their visit. This time there was no such worry, and if Atobe was willing to trade a bit of privacy for support, Sanada was going to sit through it all, however awkward it might be.

As it turned out, the answer was very awkward indeed. The doctor didn’t pay much attention to Sanada, since Atobe made it clear he wanted Sanada there. However, once a nurse had been by to draw some blood for whatever tests they needed to make, Atobe had to answer all sorts of probing questions. Rather than shy away from the details, though, he held onto Sanada’s hand just a bit tighter while he answered. Clearly the least Sanada could do was stay steady for him.

Finally, the doctor nodded. “Well, things seem to be going okay. I’d still like to do an ultrasound examination, just to make sure everything is looking fine inside, too.”

Now Atobe made a face, as he had apparently finally had his filling of all the prodding. “Is that really necessary? I told you the bleeding has settled down.” While his voice was mostly calm, Atobe’s hand tightened around Sanada’s.

“I’m afraid so. We need to be sure there isn’t any leftover tissue that could lead to an infection.” The doctor’s expression turned more sympathetic, now. “Let’s get this done while we wait for the blood test results, all right?”

Sanada was not exactly surprised that a clinic that Atobe Keigo frequented had an ultrasound tech on hand at a moment’s notice. Really, if he was surprised about anything, it was how easily Atobe tugged him along this time, too. Sanada felt even more out of place now that he was dragged into another room, with Atobe lying down and an ultrasound tech joining them. Rather than being treated as an intruder, though, he felt rather ignored as he was pointed to a chair and then forgotten. Not that it was a bad thing, though. As long as Atobe remembered he was there, Sanada was doing his job.

It was hardly the first time he had ever seen Atobe’s bare stomach, they’d shared a locker room at practice camp before, after all. However, there was something terribly vulnerable about the way he lay there with his shirt pulled up and the top of his pants open, staying perfectly quiet as the ultrasound tech spread gel on his skin. Sanada could have sworn Atobe flinched at the first contact, but he didn’t say anything. Instead, he just stared at the screen on the ultrasound machine as the wand was pressed against his stomach.

For a moment there was nothing but a grey mess on the screen. After a moment, though, something else appeared. At first it was just a glimpse in passing, a bit of black in the middle of the grey, which grew clearer as the wand was brought back to the spot. Sanada was fairly sure this was important, considering Atobe suddenly grasped his hand with almost desperate strength.

“Ah, here we have your uterus.” The ultrasound tech kept moving the wand until she got a better view. “And… well. Isn’t this a curious find.”

“What?” Atobe’s voice was strained, not that Sanada could blame him. “What do you mean?”

“See this spot here?” She pointed at the screen, at a small dot Sanada could barely make out. “This is the remains of a gestational sac. It’s mostly gone, as expected. However, this one here?” She shifted the wand, changing the view slightly so a bigger, more defined grey blob appeared in the middle of the black shape that was apparently Atobe’s uterus. “This appears to be a healthy fetus.”

Atobe opened his mouth, but nothing came out. Sanada chose to spoke up instead, somewhat prompted by Atobe’s death grip around his hand. “What do you mean?” He must have misunderstood… right?

“I mean that I’m seeing a fetus that seems to be developing just fine. See that flicker? That would be a heartbeat.” After a couple of clicks she turned on speakers on the machine, and a rapid beating sound filled the room. “Oh, yes. Definitely something there.”

The silence that returned as the sound was turned off again was deafening. “But… how?” Atobe sounded like he was still having trouble processing any of this. “I had a miscarriage! What, are you telling me I was bleeding just for fun?”

“Remember how I said there was an empty gestational sack?” She shifted the view again to bring the small dot back to view. “Most likely you were carrying twins. One fetus wasn’t viable, which led to the symptoms of miscarriage, while this one apparently decided to hang on.” She clicked at the machine for a moment, figuring out details such as how far along the pregnancy was, though Sanada figured Atobe was probably perfectly aware of it. He tried to listen as best as he could, anyway, as Atobe probably wasn’t taking in much judging by his expression. One of them should probably be able to confirm this hadn’t just been a dream.

Atobe started to seem more sensible by the time his stomach was clean and covered and they were listening to the doctor again, with an envelope in Sanada’s hand holding printouts of the ultrasound examination. Apparently the blood test had confirmed that Atobe was, indeed, still very much pregnant, which meant there was more talking to be done. Sanada was still doing his best to listen, though he wasn’t sure how much he was taking in. All this seemed rather overwhelming at this point, but then, it was probably much more so for Atobe.

This time, Atobe did not wait nearly as long to speak after they left the hospital. They had barely gotten out of the door as he drew a deep breath. “Right. I need something to eat, now. I’ve barely eaten anything since yesterday morning, and now that I’ve gotten the previous cause of nerves out of the way, I want to get something in my stomach before I start worrying over the next one.”

Sanada followed along as Atobe surged off, not entirely sure he had anything to contribute under the circumstances. It didn’t take Atobe too long to locate a small fast food restaurant. It hardly looked like the sort of place Atobe would frequent, but apparently hunger won over any attempt at refined tastes as he walked right in. Sanada followed him, trying his best not to wonder how Atobe Keigo would react to greasy fries and flattened burgers.

The answer, it appeared, was by ordering what Sanada was fairly sure was every single item on the menu. At least there certainly was a rather wide selection as he took one of the full trays once Atobe was done, following after him into a quiet corner of the restaurant. It was hardly busy, so they had relative privacy. Knowing Atobe’s usual love for attention, that was probably the reason he chose the spot.

“Help yourself.” Atobe waved at the trays, grabbing one of the burgers for himself. “I suggest you hurry though, I can’t guarantee I’m not going to work through it all on my own if you let me.”

“Hn.” Sanada picked something that looked tolerable and started to eat, though at a rather more sedate pace than Atobe. “You really are hungry, huh.”

“I told you, I’ve hardly managed to keep down anything the last day or two.” Atobe paused, a bit of ketchup at the corner of his mouth. It looked surprisingly adorable. “You know, maybe it wasn’t just nerves that was making me nauseous after all.”

“…That’s possible.” Best to keep his comments as neutral as possible until he had figured out how Atobe felt about all this.

“It’s funny, you know.” Atobe kept talking between bites, though at least he had the decency not to speak with his mouth full. “I’ve spent the last couple of weeks trying to get used to the idea it’s all over with. And now? Now I’m back to square one, except with a bit more trauma to deal with.”

“Hn.” What was he supposed to say? “I suppose you could think of it as fresh perspective.”

“Maybe.” This was apparently all Atobe had to say at this point, as he focused on his food now. That was fine. Sanada never was good with words, anyway.

Neither of them spoke much until most of the food was gone. Sanada was picking through the last fries when Atobe finally spoke, twirling a straw through the remnants of his milkshake.

“…You’re going to think I’m stupid.”

“Never.” Sanada considered his words, then decided honesty was the best policy. “Well. Not about this, at least.”

“I just… well.” Atobe looked down. Following the direction of his gaze, Sanada realizes he was looking at the envelope with the printouts. “This one… seems like a fighter. My body gave up on it, the doctors gave up on it, I gave up on it. And it’s still here despite everything.”

“I suppose.” Sanada did his best to keep his voice as neutral as he could. This was a decision Atobe needed to make, and Sanada had no place influencing that.

“So… it seems wrong not to even give it a chance.” Atobe paused, then looked up at Sanada. “…Is that childish of me?”

“I don’t think so.” Sanada shook his head. “If you were otherwise determined to terminate and this was your only reason to do otherwise, probably. However, from what I’ve heard you say, you were hardly decided on the matter. If this is just the tipping point, it’s a perfectly valid one.”

“I suppose you’re right.” Atobe finally stopped twirling his straw, apparently deciding his appetite was well and truly sated. “Probably best to wait at least until I’ve had a proper night’s sleep before making any final decisions, though. It’s probably not too much to say I may be unusually emotional right now.”

“I certainly wouldn’t disagree.” Sanada ate the last fry, then wiped his fingers. “For the record, my offer still stands.”

“Oh, I know. I never expected you to go back on your word. I still have no idea why you would make such a promise, but I know I can count on it.” Atobe looked at him over the table. “So. Assuming I haven’t changed my mind by tomorrow, how do you feel about becoming a father?”

Sanada had not really thought about such things before, and he certainly hadn’t considered his own motivations beyond the fact that the sight of Atobe so hurt and fragile had been utterly unbearable. Now, though, he looked at Atobe’s smile, teasing with a hint of vulnerability hidden within, and wondered if he didn’t actually have some idea as to his reasons. He certainly knew exactly what his answer was going to be.

“Mostly, I wonder how soon you are going to snap once my instincts catch up to the idea and I’ll be doing everything in my power to keep you safe from anything and everything.”

Atobe scoffed, but the faint smile that tugged at his lips wasn’t exactly discouraging.


	3. Telling Family (Telling Friends)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Both Sanada and Atobe have people they want to inform about the news. As it turns out, the people close to them are excellent at reading them.

After close to an hour of scanning through any and all bookshelves he could find in the house, Sanada had to give up. He’d gone through the most likely places several times by now, and even scoured the corners where the less frequently used books got shunted out of the way. At this point, his only hope of finding what he was looking for was turning to the one person who could always be trusted to find everything.

“Mother?” Sanada walked into the kitchen, fully aware he was putting himself in danger of getting involved in dinner preparations. “If I can’t find something in any of the bookshelves, where could it be?”

“There are a couple of places. Come, you can chop up the vegetables for me.” Ah, so predictable. “What exactly were you looking for?”

“The baby books that were everywhere around the time Sasuke was little.” He dutifully washed his hands before getting the knife. “I know they didn’t get thrown out, you wouldn’t allow that.”

“Ah, yes. I think we packed them away in a box some years ago. They should be in the storage room, I can show you where.” She hummed to herself, apparently innocent, though there was no way she wasn’t already suspecting. “Is there any particular reason you’re looking for them?”

“I figure it would be good for me to start studying before the baby is actually here, that’s all.” It took immense effort to keep his voice level.

“And what baby would that be?” She lifted her eyebrows. “I’m certainly not aware of one.”

“Mine. With my… well, I suppose boyfriend would be appropriate.” They’d worked through the story with Atobe beforehand. Sanada didn’t like lying to his parents, but then, this part was not exactly a lie. They would tell his family the full truth eventually, but right now, he needed them to take a positive outlook, and know he was serious. “It’s pretty early still, but I want to be prepared.”

“I see.” She sounded surprisingly calm. “And how long has he been your boyfriend?”

“Not long. It’s… a bit of a messy story.”

He wasn’t sure if something managed to slip into his voice after all, or if his mother just knew him so well. Either way, her voice was still perfectly level. “And would that story begin before or after the pregnancy?”

Sanada frowned, cutting into the carrots with perhaps a little too much force. “What exactly are you implying?”

“I’m not implying anything, my dear.” She shook her head, eyes on the pot she was stirring. “However, I know my boys. I know you are too responsible to have any thoughtless flings, and too respectful not to introduce a lover to your family. Whatever the circumstances, I know that’s not the sort of person you are. However, I could well see you being the sort of person who steps in when he is needed.”

“I’m not sure what you are trying to say.” Or, rather, he was worried she was far too close to the truth.

“Genichirou.” Finally she looked at him, her eyes serious. “I’m not going to ask you for the details, I know you’ll share them when you are ready. All I need to know for now is that you are going to be a father.”

“That is right.” He nodded firmly. “And I plan to be involved. He needs me.” Atobe needed someone, at least, and Sanada had decided that would be him.

“Then that’s good enough for me.” She smiled at him, looking satisfied. “Any child you call yours is my grandchild. I don’t care about what led to this, as long as I know you’re going to conduct yourself properly from now on.”

“Thank you.” Sanada swallowed. He had trusted his parents would approve of his taking the respectful route, but this was the part he had not been quite so certain of. There had been every chance they might see this as reckless, taking on problems that were not his. Clearly his mother was not of that opinion, though.

“I do expect to be introduced to your mate very soon. After all, there are plenty of things to sort out.” She nodded decisively. “Now, keep an eye on the pot for a moment, will you? I’ll go get that box of books for you.”

“Ah. Thanks.” Sanada nodded. “I… might need some backup when telling father and grandfather.”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that. I’ll make sure everything goes fine.” She patted him on the shoulder. “Just get those vegetables in the pot in the meantime.”

Sanada nodded. For all that he was feeling rather clueless about a lot of things, this was something he knew how to do.

Surely, everything else would turn out well in the end, too.

*

“I will be stepping down from the student council.”

It took his parents a moment to react, and Keigo almost wondered if they had heard him. Then, however, his father nodded. “That is, of course, your choice. Is there any particular reason we should be aware of?”

“I’m reassessing my priorities, that’s all. It seems I’ll have my hands full just trying to get through school work and my tennis club duties.” Atobe focused on his dinner, trying to stay calm.

“Well, if you think that’s for the best, we’ll obviously support you. But you have had no problem handling your various duties before.” He knew even without looking that his dad was giving him a worried look. “Is something the matter?”

“I suppose you could say that.” With a deep breath, Atobe set his cutlery down, looking at each of his parents in turn. “I’m pregnant.”

There was a variety of reactions he might have expected. What he certainly hadn’t expected was his dad looking at his father with a slightly smug look. “I told you so.”

“Yes, darling, we all know you’re always right.” Atobe’s father looked rather serious. “Keigo. Is there anything else you would like to tell us?”

“What do you mean?” He tried to put a smirk on his face, but it probably didn’t work.

“You have been miserable for a while now. You’ve tried to hide it, sure, but we do pay attention. Forgive me if I’m jumping to conclusions, but that hardly makes me think the circumstances of this are entirely happy.”

Right. Trust his parents to always see through him. Still, he wasn’t ready for that conversation. “I… really would rather not talk about it right now.” He turned his eyes down to his food. “What matters right now is that I am keeping the child, and I have a sire to name for the child, one who is both aware and agreeable.” He met his father’s serious gaze with one of his own. “And, most importantly, one I will not mind being involved with.”

There was a moment of silence, as his words no doubt started to sink in. At last, his dad broke the silence. “Well. I thought we’d have some more time before becoming grandparents, but if it’s happening, we’d better get on top of things.”

“Agreed.” His father gave a firm nod. “I will make sure there are no problems with the school.”

“We’ll need to set up a nursery, and somewhere for the sire to stay.” His dad had his planning expression on. “I don’t think it would be good for you to try moving out on your own while trying to juggle everything else, and the sire will no doubt be busy with school as well, but that shouldn’t get in the way of you learning to be a family.”

“You are not upset?” Atobe swallowed. He had certainly not been prepared for how well they would take this.

“Obviously, we’re not happy that something bad happened to you, whatever the details may be. When you are ready to talk about it, we will listen.” His father paused. “However, if you are happy about this baby, that is all we need to know right now. Sure, you are quite young, but if anyone can handle that, it’s you.”

He was trying to stay calm, really he was. He had prepared himself for this, had wanted to stay collected. Now, however, he couldn’t do it anymore, tears of pure relief making their way out. It was ridiculous and embarrassing and just plain pathetic, but he figured he had a rather excellent excuse for being overly emotional right now.

One worry over with, plenty more left.

*

Sanada glanced down at his phone, reading through the message for the third time. Not because he thought he was missing anything, just because he wanted to be sure he had all the details correct. Having confirmed the time, he nodded to himself, then turned to his vice-captain. “Renji?”

“Genichiro?” Renji looked up from the practice schedule for the following week. Well, this would be perfectly on topic, then.

“I will have to miss afternoon practice next Thursday.” Just saying such a thing felt wrong, but he had already decided where his priorities lay. “I’ll get some of the other regulars to fill in so you aren’t left with all the responsibility, of course.”

“Don’t worry about that.” Renji shook his head. “I’m sure I can handle it. However, I have to admit I would like to know what would be important enough for you to miss practice.”

“I have… an appointment.” He felt awkward, but he’d have to get through this sooner or later. With everyone else, too, but most importantly Renji. After Seiichi left them to play abroad, he had grown even closer to his remaining friend. “One that I would very much hate to miss.”

“And would this have anything to do with whatever has been distracting you ever since practice camp?” Trust Renji to have noticed. Though then, Renji had a bad habit of noticing everything. “And possibly Atobe?” A very bad habit.

“Yes, to both.” He wasn’t sure he liked the hint of a smirk on Renji’s lips. “He is having a doctor’s appointment to check in on the baby, and I have every intention of accompanying him.”

He took some pleasure in the surprised look that took over Renji’s face, if only for a moment. “Well. I suppose I should have expected you to skip from barely acknowledged crush to starting a family.”

“Hn.” He would have protested, but that would have rather gone against everything he was trying to do. Besides, he couldn’t really claim there had been no interest between Atobe and him before. After all, he would not have made such an offer to just anyone. “Just don’t tell anyone just yet. Atobe will kill me if I ruin whatever grand announcement he is no doubt planning.”

“You know me. I’m not exactly one to share my data.” Renji smirked. “I certainly wouldn’t risk ruining things between Atobe and you after all these years of waiting for you to get your act together.”

“For the sake of our friendship, I will pretend I didn’t hear that.”


	4. Public Announcements (Private Revelations)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The news start to spread around, and Sanada gets to meet Atobe's parents. Meanwhile, the Rikkai regulars find out something rather less joyful.

In hindsight, Sanada supposed meeting Atobe’s parents could have gone much worse.

He wasn’t entirely surprised to find out that Atobe’s bearer was foreign, giving Atobe his coloring while his sire contributed to the actual features. What did take him aback was the perfectly cordial way they greeted him, no different from the parents of any of his friends. Perhaps it was somewhat biased of him to be surprised, but they did live in what was practically a palace. Not that Sanada’s family were exactly poor, but he wouldn’t have been shocked if they had doubted his suitability as their son’s mate.

Atobe had told him his parents were aware that the circumstances of the pregnancy weren’t exactly ordinary, which probably saved him from any of the more prodding questions one might have expected in such a situation. Instead they seemed to simply accept Atobe’s introduction of Sanada as the named sire of his future child, moving right past that into introducing him to what was going to become the nursery. Sanada was fairly sure the one room was larger than many first homes, the regular nursery furniture accompanied by a full living room set and a small coffee area in front of the large windows. The room was attached through a door both to Atobe’s room and to another bedroom that Sanada was informed was to be his whenever he wished to stay at the place. If nothing else, it did confirm that they didn’t expect Atobe and Sanada to act like a regular couple who already had a child on the way. He wasn’t entirely sure how to feel about that, but he supposed he had no problem with it as long as they didn’t take that as an excuse to question Sanada’s claim on the child.

He was fairly sure he could tell who Atobe got his personality from. His sire was a very familiar creature, prancing around the room and proudly pointing out all the tiny details, while Atobe’s bearer mostly just smiled at each comment and stayed to the side. Atobe had been somewhat nervous at the beginning of his visit, but had now relaxed as well, swept up in his sire’s boasting. If one Atobe was a dazzling experience, two of them playing off each other was even more impressive. Or terrifying, Sanada wasn’t entirely sure which.

“Sanada-kun.” He suddenly realized Atobe’s bearer was smiling at him. “Could I steal you for a moment?”

“Ah. Sure.” Atobe certainly seemed sufficiently entertained with his debate with his sire. Sanada followed the older man to the side of the room, far enough to be out of earshot.

“Now. You seem like a perfectly nice young man, and I don’t think you have any ulterior motives.” Atobe’s dad gave him a gaze that was a bit too sharp for his gentle smile. “However, I feel I should warn you that you may be taking on more than you expected.”

Sanada frowned. “With all due respect, Atobe-san, I think I know what I’m getting into. Perhaps not the details, but I don’t imagine for a moment that being responsible for a child is going to be easy.”

“Please, just call me Christopher. Chris, if that is too complicated. Or I suppose Dad would be appropriate too, given the circumstances.” He smiled at Sanada’s embarrassment, then turned serious again. “But no, that’s not all that I meant. The thing is, you can’t take responsibility of an omega’s child without also becoming involved with that omega. Your instincts won’t allow for that in the long run, either of yours. If you truly claim the child as your own, your instincts will want to claim the bearer, too. And on the other side of things, no omega could truly allow someone to take a parental role in their child’s life unless they consider that person their mate, especially when the child is young. Our instincts won’t allow us to trust a baby in the care of any other alpha.”

“Hn.” Sanada nodded slowly. “I am prepared for that, assuming Atobe allows that. I have promised to support him in any way he needs me; if that includes being his mate, then I will be that, too.”

“Is that out of duty or desire, though?” Christopher’s voice sounded almost worried, now. “Don’t take me wrong, I am delighted that Keigo has someone by his side, but I have seen too many relationships turn sour to allow my only child feel like he is merely a responsibility to be shouldered.”

“That is not the case.” Whether he had admitted it to himself before or not, it was true. “I have always found Atobe… fascinating. Annoying and even infuriating, perhaps, but always fascinating. I did not make my offer out of pity, but rather because I could not stand to see such a brilliant man brought down by his circumstances.”

“Hm. In that case, I’m assuming you also know him well enough to be aware that he won’t always be easy to deal with.” Sanada’s expression must have showed his feelings, as Christopher chuckled. “Indeed. Keigo is his sire’s son through and through, proud and stubborn and hard to please. Taking an Atobe as your mate is no easy task.” He glanced over to where Atobe and his other father were still talking, pure fondness in his eyes. “But if you truly commit to it, it is absolutely worth the effort.”

“Ah. I suppose you would know that.” After all, it certainly looked like Atobe’s parents were very happy together. “I… to be honest, I do not know if I am the right partner for him. The only thing we have in common is tennis. But since he has agreed to allow me to try, I will do my best.”

“I think you may be surprised.” Christopher smiled. “It might not be a bad idea for Keigo to have someone to counter his, ah, outspoken approach. Either way, as long as you do try your best, the two of you have our full support.”

“Hn. That is… good to know.” Sanada nodded. He hesitated for a moment, not sure if he should bring up the next moment. “Ah. I have to say, I’m happy to hear that, you know. That you think his happiness is more important than the appearances, that is. No offense.”

“Don’t worry, I’m not offended in the slightest. There are still people who would disagree with those priorities, even people close to us. Still, clearly that won’t be a problem either way, so we don’t have to get to such judgments. Right?”

Christopher was smiling, bright and brilliant, the resemblance between him and his son even more obvious. However, perhaps it was that resemblance that made him notice the hidden edge to that smile that very transformed the simple question into a thinly veiled threat.

“Right,” he said, his lips twitching. Somehow, he wasn’t even surprised.

Perhaps he hadn’t been entirely correct in his snap judgment of who Atobe took after.

*

Oishi very nearly regretted his decision to answer the phone as soon as he brought it to his ear and was greeted by what could only be called a shriek. However, as this was Eiji calling, he had been somewhat expecting this.

“Eiji.” Oishi smiled despite himself, shaking his head. No matter how grown up they were supposed to be, Eiji never seemed to change. “What’s going on?”

“Oishi! It’s big, this is big!” Judging by the excitement in Eiji’s voice, he was almost surprised Eiji hadn’t already run over just to shake him by the shoulders. “Are you near your computer? No, forget that, just look it up on your phone. But hurry!”

“Eiji, slow down.” Even so, Oishi was already turning on his laptop. “You haven’t even told me what I’m supposed to look up. I’m not actually that talented in reading your mind.”

“Go check Atobe’s profile.” Then, before Oishi even had the time to ask the obvious question, Eiji huffed. “Any profile, I’m pretty sure he’s posted it everywhere. Just hurry up!”

“Right.” He might not have been as embroiled in social media as Eiji was, but Oishi did check various sites regularly, and Atobe was very much present at all of them. Opening the first one he could think of, he blinked as he saw a photo at the top of the page. “Is that…”

“See!” Eiji sounded downright giddy. “It’s awesome, isn’t it?”

“It’s definitely something.” The photo had no accompanying caption, not that it really needed one. There was a Hyoutei tennis uniform, folded up on a neatly made bed. Next to it was a likewise folded Rikkai uniform with a black cap on top. That alone would have been quite enough to cause a stir, but that wasn’t even the interesting part. No, what really made Oishi stare in something like awe was the third outfit on the bed, spread out rather than folded away. There was a tiny white and blue onesie, along with likewise small pants in a soft yellow. “Is this for real?”

“Going by the comments, yeah.” Eiji was making the strangest little sounds between his words. Oishi wasn’t sure when he’d last heard Eiji so absolutely delighted. “There’s both Rikkai and Hyoutei players telling him congratulations, and they’d know if it’s for real, right?”

“That sounds likely, yes.” Oishi clicked over to the comments, seeing both congratulations and requests for clarification. It seemed the news had spread very fast, as he saw familiar names from a number of schools. “Come to think of it, Atobe did seem under the weather at the practice camp, and Sanada was around him a lot.”

“Right? That must have been morning sickness!” Oishi was tempted to point out that Eiji wasn’t supposed to sound so excited about someone else feeling poorly, but decided against it. He knew there was not a single malicious bone in Eiji’s body. “Wait. Does this mean Atobe won’t be playing at Kantou?”

“I don’t know. I’m sure Inui will have found out by now, though.” Oishi hummed to himself. “Either way, things are going to be interesting. Especially if Sanada gets protective.”

“I mean, it’s Sanada, right? He’s like the textbook alpha. Alphas are protective of pregnant mates, right?” Eiji paused. “That is an actual instinct, right? And not just a TV stereotype?”

“Yes, it’s real. Unfortunately for me.” Oishi chuckled. “I’d definitely like to be a father some day, but you’ll probably be trying to land somersaults eight months pregnant. With the way I worry at the best of times, I’ll probably actually go mad at that point.”

“Awww, Oishi, that’s so sweet.” Eiji practically purred. “Does that mean that when you have a kid, it’s definitely going to be with me?”

Oishi blinked. “I thought that was obvious.” How was this even a question?

“You’ve never said anything!” Eiji groaned. “Nyaaa. You can’t just announce something like that!”

“Eiji, you’re my mate.” Oishi smiled, now. He could see Eiji in his mind’s eye, pouting at him even over the phone. “The only way that could change is if you decide you don’t want that. Of course any family I might have is going to be with you.”

He half expected to hear some teasing comment about how he was being soppy, but instead he got a happy sigh from Eiji. “I think I like the sound of that.” Eiji chuckled. “Not for a while yet, though. I mean, I’m happy for Sanada and Atobe and all, but I’m not in any hurry for that sort of responsibility yet.”

“We’ve got all the time in the world.” Oishi grinned at the computer screen, still showing the teeny tiny baby clothes. “And maybe by then, you’ll have figured out a baby announcement to top Atobe’s.”

Not that it could ever be anything but perfect, as long as it was with Eiji.

*

“You know,” Atobe’s voice had a tone of forced airiness, “when I said it would be fine for your team to come take a look at the nursery, I didn’t expect it would involve getting ambushed by them all at once.”

“Too bad.” Sanada smirked, not moving a finger to save Atobe from his predicament. It was a horrific one, really, seeing how he had been caught in a hug between a mischievously grinning Marui and a surprisingly emotional Akaya, with Niou trying to sneak a black and yellow cap over Atobe’s hair. “If your famous Insight didn’t tell you this would happen, it’s clearly not worth all the fuss.”

“It’s only fair, you know.” Jackal had taken over the rocking chair set in a corner, which was probably the best possible outcome, really. At least he wasn’t likely to break it just to see how fast it could go. “You can’t really expect to date our captain and bear his pup without becoming an honorary Rikkai member.”

“Indeed.” Yagyuu adjusted his glasses. “If anything, you should be happy we chose to do this on familiar ground rather than ambush you in public.”

“You are all lucky I’m quite used to dealing with a bunch of brats.” Still, Atobe’s lips were slightly curled, so Sanada figured he was probably not entirely serious about his protests. “Really, though, you don’t have to cling to me like you’re afraid I’ll run off. This is my home, I am hardly going to flee and leave you without supervision.”

“That’s not why we’re hugging you!” Marui announced, though he did at least let go. Akaya was slightly more resilient, but did step back after a moment as well. “You clearly haven’t been hugged enough, well, ever, and we doubt Sanada’s going to fix that problem, so somebody’s got to fill in.”

“That is simply unnecessary.” Sanada resisted the urge to sigh. It wasn’t like it would accomplish anything. “I am certain he would make it known if he was indeed in need of additional hugs.”

“Indeed.” Atobe smirked, deftly sidestepping another attempted ambush by Niou. How Niou thought he could go unnoticed by Atobe, Sanada wasn’t sure. “I’m not exactly known for being low maintenance.”

“You know that’s not usually something people brag about.“ Which might have been rather mean for some people, but Atobe clearly took the tease in his stride, merely smirking at the attempted jab.

“What can I say? I am very exceptional in every way.” Atobe spun around with his arms outstretched as though to show off his excellence. Ridiculous as always, but he supposed it was for the better. Far too many people would have become overwhelmed when met with the entire force of Rikkai regulars in a social situations, even now that Seiichi was overseas and thus wasn’t adding to the pressure.

Perhaps Sanada had worried for nothing. Ah, not that he had been actually worried, of course. He wouldn’t have agreed to his team’s request if he had truly been concerned, but he had to admit to a certain… wariness. For all that he knew Atobe could take care of himself, the instincts of an alpha protecting a pregnant mate were hard to ignore.

“I have to say, this is a very nice nursery.” Renji’s lips twitched. “About the size of a small family home, perhaps, but then it will have to fit both your large frame and Atobe’s ego.”

“Very amusing.” Sanada huffed. “If anything, I’m wondering if they simply have no smaller rooms that aren’t in use as cleaning closets.”

“You aren’t helping the case here.” Renji ran his fingertips along the side of a very beautiful crib. It seemed rather premature in Sanada’s opinion to have all this furniture set up when Atobe was hardly even showing yet, but he wasn’t going to complain. It did mean there was less to worry about later, and besides, it seemed to make Atobe happy to know his parents were actively supporting them already.

“I am planning on publicly claiming Atobe Keigo as my mate and the bearer of my child. I don’t think there is any sort of defense I could offer that would make the situation seem less extravagant.” And yet, he couldn’t help smiling as he saw his own old baby blanket carefully folded over the side of the crib.

“I suppose you have a point there.” Renji chuckled, looking like he was about to say something else. However, he was cut off by the sound of a scream.

Sanada spun on his heel, finding himself staring at a frozen scene of chaos. Niou was on the floor, cap still in hand, with the other Rikkai players all staring at him. In the middle of all this was Keigo, his back to the wall, arms still outstretched. Sanada didn’t need to see any closer to tell he was trembling.

“Out of the way.” Perhaps the order came out as more of a growl than was strictly necessary, but he hardly had any patience for niceties right now. All he cared about was that it got everyone to move aside as he marched over to Atobe, halting a couple of steps away. “Atobe?” There was no response, though Atobe did lower his arms slowly, clenching his hands by his sides. “…Keigo?”

As if on cue, Atobe slid down the wall, ending up in a crumbled heap on the floor. Sanada crouched down next to him, and Atobe practically fell into his arms, head nestling under Sanada’s chin. Sanada could feel his entire body trembling.

His team didn’t actually need an order to scatter, thankfully, proving they did have at least one brain cell left between them all. Sanada heard them retreating away, though he didn’t really pay that much attention. All he needed to know was that they were out of the way as he focused on calming Atobe.

Comforting people wasn’t really something he was good at, but he had to at least try. Thankfully his approach of murmuring meaningless words and letting Atobe burrow into his chest seemed to be working, as slowly Atobe settled down. At last he managed to coax Atobe to stand up, leading him to the nearby couch. A quick glance made it clear his team had left the room. Good. He needed a moment to speak with Atobe in peace.

“Atobe?” He stuck close to Atobe, close enough that his scent hopefully calmed Atobe down somewhat. There wasn’t much else he could do right now, however much it frustrated him. “Atobe, what happened?” So help him, if his players had overstepped their boundaries…

“I… sorry.” Atobe drew a shuddering breath. “I, ah, I overreacted.” The way he hugged himself did not exactly convince Sanada of that.

“Overreacted to what?” After a moment’s hesitation, he reached out to brush aside a lock of hair from Atobe’s face. Atobe leaned into the touch, which was… well. It was better than having Atobe draw away. “Niou?”

“Don’t look like you’re about to murder someone.” Apparently even in this state Atobe could muster up the energy to poke at Sanada’s nose. Utterly ridiculous, as always. “He was just playing around, trying to get that stupid cap on my head. I’m not going to accuse him of being malicious, even if it’s your trickster.”

“Unless you’ve suddenly developed a phobia of headwear, I’m not going to believe that’s the whole story.” Sanada frowned. “Atobe. What exactly did Niou do?”

“He… pushed me against the wall.” Atobe actually shivered at this. “I know he was just trying to corner me, but I… it reminded me…”

“…Right.” Well, perhaps he wouldn’t beat up Niou, but he was definitely going to see how many laps Niou could handle. “What do you want me to do?”

Atobe blinked. “What do you mean?”

“My team will expect an explanation. However, I will not tell them anything that you don’t want me to tell them.” It might be difficult to avoid their questions, but he wasn’t going to hurt Atobe just because it might be the easier choice.

“…Ah.” Atobe drew a deep breath, no doubt to calm himself. Sanada wasn’t sure whether Atobe realized he was leaning closer to Sanada, but he wasn’t complaining. “If you think you can trust them not to spread it around, I suppose it would be better for them to know. It’s better to be honest from the start than have it come up later for one reason or another.”

“Right.” Sanada nodded. “I’ll also tell them the visit’s over for today. You look like you need some peace and quiet.”

“That would be good, yes.” Atobe sighed. “Sorry. I know you wanted to share this with them.”

“Don’t apologize. They’ve seen the place and will no doubt tease me about it for ages, that’s quite enough for now.” Sanada snorted. “We can set up another time for them to get to know you more, once everyone is calm and aware of boundaries.”

“That sounds good.” Atobe drew another shuddering breath. “Shit. I haven’t had a moment this bad in a while.”

“It’s understandable.” Sanada made to stand up, but hesitated. After a moment’s thought he shrugged off the light hoodie he was wearing over his t-shirt, wrapping it around Atobe’s shoulders. Hopefully the scent would help him calm down. “…I’ll be back.”

He glanced over his shoulder at the door, seeing Atobe curled up on the couch, the jacket still on his shoulders. Well. At least it wasn’t doing harm, then.

Sanada wasn’t too surprised to find his team out in the corridor, far enough from the door that Renji must have shepherded them away to dissuade any eavesdropping attempts. For a moment Sanada just looked at them, taking in the confused and worried looks. Renji’s expression was downright grim. He always did pick up things the fastest.

“So.” Sanada sighed, folding his arms over his chest. This was not going to be easy. “First, some ground rules I really should have set to begin with. If any one of you tries to physically corner Atobe, for any reason, I will make sure you regret it. Are we clear?” He looked at Niou in particular, then let his gaze move from each player to the next.

“Crystal.” Renji nodded curtly. “Anything else we should keep in mind?”

“That will do for now.” Sanada paused, trying to find the best way to word what he had to say. “…Right. Now, what I am about to tell you is absolutely confidential. Not a word to anyone, for any reason, in any situation.” He waited until everyone had nodded, then gathered himself. “The truth is, I am the father of Atobe’s child. However… unfortunately, I was not the sire.”

He could practically see the moment the coin dropped for each of them. From Akaya’s widening eyes to Jackal’s muttered curse, the shock was obvious. Renji was the only one whose expression did not shift, perfectly calm as he broke the silence. “I’m assuming that is linked to his reaction?”

“Indeed.” Sanada clenched his teeth. “Atobe won’t tell me who hurt him, and I’m not about to push him on the matter. As long as the bastard doesn’t come near him again, I’m going to focus on making sure Atobe and our baby are safe.” Perhaps he made sure to put some extra weight on the last part, but he figured it was only appropriate. He did not want his own team doubting what he had decided was the truth. Judging by his players’ expressions, though, his main problem would be keeping them from hunting down the culprit on their own.

Making that clear could wait, though. Right now, all he cared about was getting back to Atobe.


	5. Attacking the Innocent (The Innocent Attacking)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Turns out Atobe is not the only victim. However, even if all of Rikkai has promised to stay out of the matter, there can still be revenge.

“Atobe.” Sanada shoved his phone into his pocket, turning back from where he had stepped aside to have his call in private. “We need to talk about something.”

“From that look, I’m assuming it’s not about baby names.” Atobe set down the textbook he had been studying. It still felt slightly strange, doing something as mundane as homework, but that was precisely why they were spending time together outside any sort of attempt at dates. They were supposed to be a couple, or at the very least a unit for the sake of the baby, so getting used to each other’s presence was a good place to start.

“I’m afraid not.” Sanada sighed. “Renji just called me. Apparently there has been an… incident.”

“Incident?” Atobe frowned. For someone like Sanada to use such word, it was no doubt serious. “What do you mean?”

“Someone assaulted Fudoumine’s vice-captain.” Sanada was practically bristling. “He managed to struggle free and run away, but didn’t get a good look at his attacker. However, he did smell an alpha, and also heard them growl something about uppity omegas.”

Atobe froze. He could feel bile rising up in his throat, and had to swallow so he wouldn’t actually throw up. Clearly Sanada noticed his distress, because he rushed over to where Atobe was sitting on his bed, taking a seat next to Atobe.

“I knew I wouldn’t be the only one,” Atobe murmured, leaning into Sanada. The casual presence might have been strange, but there was nothing strange with wanting to be surrounded by the scent and warmth of a familiar alpha. His alpha. It still didn’t stop his heart from running rapidly in his chest, reflecting his panic. “I knew it…”

“It’s okay.” Sanada lifted his head to let Atobe nuzzle the skin under his jaw, where the scent was the strongest. “I’ve got you. He’s not getting you again.”

“Right.” Atobe drew a shuddering breath. “…Please don’t try to tell me this is somehow my fault for not speaking up earlier.”

“I would never.” Sanada’s voice thrummed through his chest under Atobe’s touch. “You have no blame in this matter. Not then, and not now.”

“It’s hard to believe that sometimes.” Atobe frowned, not that Sanada could see it. “What if Kamio wasn’t the only one attacked besides me?”

“Renji said he’d see if he can find any other incidents, but it might be difficult. For one thing, people are obviously not going to be eager to talk about it even if it’s happened.” Sanada paused, and Atobe knew what he was going to say before he heard it. “I will not push. But if there’s anything you want to share…”

“No.” The answer was perhaps too easy to come by. “I don’t want him roaming around, but… I know you. If I gave you even a hint, you’d be going out looking for him. I don’t want you getting in trouble for that, especially since people would start questioning why you are targeting him.”

“Fair enough.” The answer was as much of a relief as it was a surprise. Atobe had expected Sanada to be much more stubborn about this. “However, I would like at least some pointers. Kantou is coming up soon, and I know you’re going to be there even if you're not going to be playing. I can’t bear to think of you running into him there.”

“How about a compromise, then?” He probably would have sounded much more convincing if he hadn’t still been curled up into Sanada’s chest. Sanada didn’t seem to mind, though. “I will stick to either my team or yours during the tournament, and I’ll let you know if his team is scheduled to play against either of ours.”

“…I can work with that.” Sanada’s arms reached around him, warm and strong. Atobe was actually starting to feel somewhat safe.

“Good.” Atobe drew a deep breath. “…I really don’t feel like studying anymore.”

“Agreed.” Sanada rubbed his chin on top of Atobe’s head, getting his scent all over him. Good. That was good. “You keep saying you want to show me the library. How about we do that now?”

“…In a moment.” He didn’t want to move just yet. Not with one of Sanada’s hands sliding to cover his stomach as though trying to protect the baby as well.

Luckily, Sanada didn’t seem to be in a hurry.

*

“Akutsu Jin?”

Akutsu made sure not to show any reaction, taking one last drag of his cigarette before dropping it down and crushing it under his heel. “What’s it to you?” He narrowed his eyes, looking at the guy approaching him. There was something familiar about him. “You’re a data player.” He did not pay much attention to most tennis players nowadays, save for those Taichi played against, but data players were kind of special for his mate.

“That is true, yes. Yanagi Renji, from Rikkai.”

“Tch. The fuck do I care?” Akutsu snorted, sticking his hands in his pockets.

“There is something I think you might want to know.” Yanagi looked rather serious. “There’s someone in the tennis circuit who is targeting omegas.”

“So, what, nearly half the players? Don’t see how that’d be of any concern to me.” And yet, he couldn’t help but listen.

“Not just any omegas, mind. Only those who seem, ah, uppity. Those who become captains, for example.” Yanagi paused, letting the words sink in. “I know of at least one victim for sure, and my data is pointing at several more. It seems like this would be of interest to you.”

“Because of Taichi.” At one point he might have claimed to have no idea what Yanagi was talking about, but he’d matured since then. Besides, Taichi had made it clear he was not allowed to protect a claim he was not willing to make. “Why haven’t you done something about that, then? Since you’re being all responsible about this shit.”

“I’m afraid I do not know the identity of the perpetrator, and while I have some data, I have given my word not to look into it any further. Moreover, my team has agreed not to pursue the matter.”

Akutsu might not have been book smart, but he wasn’t stupid, and Taichi was an excellent source of gossip. It wasn’t difficult to put two and two together, not when he’d heard of an omega captain who had apparently suddenly become the protege of another team. “Atobe made you promise to stay out of it, huh.”

“I can neither confirm nor deny.” And that was as good as an answer. “All I know is that the perpetrator is still involved in tennis. His team played against Hyoutei last year, with him as a regular, but they haven’t faced either Rikkai or Hyoutei so far this year.”

“Sounds like a fucking riddle to me.” Akutsu huffed. “I’m not your fucking bloodhound.”

“Of course not. However, you might like to keep an eye out for your mate.” Apparently that was all Yanagi was planning to say, as he turned to go.

“Che. Like I need to be told that.”

Some fucking bastard would only ever get to Taichi over his dead body.

*

There were plenty of teams gathered for the tournament, scattered around the courts. That was fine, though, since Dan had a very efficient route planned.

He saw plenty of familiar faces, of course, including many he had faced the last year in the middle school tournament. Most people greeted him happily, though occasionally with some teasing.

“So, what are you up to this time, Dan-kun?” An-san smiled at him. “Are you going to take on Fudoumine all on your own?”

“Well, I hope I’ll get to play!” Dan grinned, hugging his notebook. “Not that it’s up to me this time, of course. I’m just an ordinary player this year, not the captain!”

“Oh, I don’t know. Being a regular again your first year of high school is pretty impressive.” An-san winked at him. “Let’s hope Yamabuki doesn’t get knocked out before we get to face you!”

“Oh, don’t you worry about that! We’re in great shape this year.” Dan chuckled. “I should probably get going, though, before Kamio-san accuses me of spying on you!”

Kamio-san said something about how that was probably useless anyway since Shinji was going to give away all their plans without meaning to, but Dan didn’t pay much attention. He had plenty of teams to visit and plenty of people to talk to. Most teams had at least someone who knew him, which probably wasn’t that big of a surprise. He’d been the captain of Yamabuki the year before, after all, and they had gone pretty far in the Nationals.

He was vaguely aware of someone following him, but didn’t pay it much mind. It was only to be expected, after all.

Dan had managed to make his rounds of all the most important teams by the time he decided a drink was in order. He found a relatively quiet spot that wasn’t too far from the courts, getting himself a drink from the vending machine and heading to a peaceful corner to open it.

He didn’t actually get the can open before it was knocked out of his hand, a pair of strong hands clutching his shoulders and pushing him against a wall. Dan blinked up at the looming face, nearly overwhelmed by the scent of an angry alpha.

“Takenaka-san?” He was good with data, after all. Takenaka Arata, current vice-captain of Kuroito High. He’d lost fairly badly to Atobe’s Hyoutei the year before.

“You’ve been running around a bit too freely, thinking you can be a captain and all.” Takenaka smirked, his eyes piercing and mean. “Someone’s got to teach you a lesson about your proper place.”

“Oh?” Dan blinked again. “Like you taught Atobe-san, you mean?”

Takenaka looked surprised for a moment, then snorted. “That little bitch can’t seem to learn. How he roped Sanada into taking him in after I had my fun, I’ve no idea, but I’ve no interest in Sanada’s sloppy seconds anymore.”

“So it was you, then.” To be fair, Takenaka had been at the top of his list of suspects. “Jin-senpai?”

Takenaka barely had time to look shocked before he was torn away from Dan and thrown down to the ground. Dan grinned as Jin-san pressed a knee on Takenaka’s arm, twisting the other behind Takenaka’s back.

“Fucking bastard,” Jin-senpai huffed. “A proper alpha wouldn’t need to hurt omegas to feel all big and dominant.”

“You fucking coward,” Takenaka growled, eyes wild as he tried to fight his way out of Jin-senpai’s grasp. “You used your own omega as bait?”

Jin-senpai snorted, adding some pressure to the arm under his knee. “Shows what a fucking failure you are, if you think any proper alpha would knowingly put their mate in any danger.” He smirked, then, showing quite a lot of teeth. “Nah, he’s the one who actually went hunting for you. I’m just here to save him from getting his hands dirty.”

“Oh, you’re just saying that, Jin-senpai.” Dan smiled. “I know you wouldn’t let this go on even if I wasn’t involved.”

“Tch. You shouldn’t be smiling about the fact I’ll take any excuse to beat up shitheads.” Which was not what Dan had meant and Jin-senpai knew that perfectly well, but that was irrelevant right now. “Which reminds me, I’ve got some work to do.” Which apparently meant he was going to beat Takenaka to a pulp. Dan smiled, sitting down to watch. Takenaka tried to fight back, but he didn’t have a chance against Jin-senpai.

Dan probably should have been horrified at seeing such violence, but he failed to find any sympathy for Takenaka. This man had hurt Atobe-san in the worst ways and then bragged about it, and was fully prepared to hurt others just because he could. He deserved nothing better.

“I think he’s learned his lesson, don’t you?” Dan finally interrupted the beatdown. “It would be so messy if he actually died or something, after all.”

“Che. Like I would care.” Even so, Jin-senpai stepped back with one last kick. Takenaka moaned faintly but didn’t move.

“Oh, and Takenaka-san?” Dan grinned, waiting until the bastard groaned again to continue. “If you ever dare speak a word about this to anyone? Or hurt anyone else? I will give your name to Rikkai. And believe me, if you thought Jin-senpai is bad, you do not want to deal with an angry Kirihara-san.”

“And don’t even think he won’t know,” Jin-senpai said, taking the tissue Dan offered him to wipe off his hands. Blood got on everything, after all. “The little brat knows everything.”

“I know enough, at least.” Dan grinned, hooking his arm through Jin-senpai’s. “Come on, we’ve got to get going. I don’t want to miss any more matches.”

Maybe he was a bad person, walking away from such a scene, but if that was the case, he was happy to be bad.

“Say, Jin-senpai?” Dan waited for the usual non-committal grunt before he went on. “What would you do if I had someone else’s kid?”

“Idiot.” Jin-senpai paused just long enough to dig out a cigarette and light it. “First off, I’d find and kill the fucker who did it. I know you, you’re more loyal than a particularly stubborn puppy. If you got knocked up by anyone other than me, it wouldn’t be by choice.”

Dan nodded, satisfied with that. Of course, he had hoped that Jin-senpai would believe in his loyalty, but it was good to hear the confirmation anyway. “And after that?”

“After?” Jin-senpai took a drag of his cigarette and blew out a cloud of smoke. “Figure I’d have to actually get a proper job. Sure, your saintly parents would probably still support you no matter what, but I fucking refuse to be a deadbeat like my useless sire.”

“So… you would help me?”

“Taichi.” Jin-senpai gave him a slight glare. “You’re my mate. That means that any pup of yours is mine, and I don’t give a fuck whose balls it came from. If I haven’t scared you off by now, you’re sure as fuck not getting rid of me just by making me a dad.”

Dan couldn’t help but grin in response. “Good to know. Not that I’m in any hurry, but I really want to make you a dad some day.”

For all his glares, Jin-senpai was quite adorable when he blushed like that.

*

The moment Sanada saw Akutsu Jin loitering near the courts, he knew something was up.

He hadn’t met Akutsu often, and only one meeting had been of any actual substance. However, considering that time had involved Akutsu trying to attack Akaya for injuring Akutsu’s then second-year mate during a match, he wasn’t going to forget that any time soon. From what he’d heard Akutsu wasn’t getting into as much trouble these days, but he was certainly no saint, and Sanada didn’t like him hanging around his team.

Brushing off any curious gazes from his teammates, he marched up to Akutsu. “Is there a problem?” He didn’t growl, didn’t want to get drawn into a dominance challenge in such a time and place, but he did make sure to stand as tall and broad as he could. The best challenge was one you didn’t have to get into.

Akutsu looked rather unimpressed, not even looking at Sanada as he ducked his head to light a cigarette. Looking up after his first drag of the cigarette, he finally stared Sanada in the eye, a hair’s breadth from a full-blown challenge. “Takenaka.”

Sanada blinked. “Excuse me?”

“Takenaka. It’s a name.” Akutsu shrugged, cigarette held between two fingers. “I’d tell you to do with it as you will, but for one thing I know you’ve given your word and you’re probably the type to actually keep it, and for another I don’t think the bastard’s going to be walking around any time soon. Still, figured you’d like to at least know who to look out for, just in case.”

Sanada frowned, then felt himself paling as he realized what Akutsu was talking about. “You mean…”

“Hey, I’m just a messenger. I don’t know the fucking details.” Akutsu smirked, not looking in any way innocent. “And if anyone asks, I’m currently watching the Yamabuki matches from a distance.”

“Why?” It was the only question he could really voice. He was hardly surprised that Akutsu was involved in violence, that was more the rule than any sort of exception. However, Akutsu also wasn’t exactly known for going out of his way to help anyone but his very small social circle.

“Why what?” Akutsu quirked an eyebrow. “Why’d I get involved at all? Because I’ve got a mate, a stubborn little omega who has basically fuck all in the way of self-preservation instinct, and for all my other faults I’m still an alpha. As for the name, call it a baby gift or something.”

“Right.” Sanada swallowed. “…Thank you.” He could have taken it as a slight, as some implication that he couldn’t protect his mate on his own, but all he felt was a deep relief. “Really, thank you.”

“Anyway, I probably shouldn’t hang around too much. Just tell everyone I wanted to make sure your brat doesn’t hurt Taichi again, or something.” Akutsu turned to go, then glanced over his shoulder. “Oh, and you might want to check in on that mate of yours. They’ve probably found the garbage pile by now, and we both know how tennis players are about juicy gossip.”

Sanada looked after Akutsu for a moment, then walked back to his regulars. “Renji, I’m going to check on Atobe. You’re in charge until I get back. The rest of you, don’t cause trouble. Especially you, Akaya.” He would have felt bad for singling Akaya out like this, but it was a legitimate concern at times. “If we do end up playing Yamabuki, I don’t want to have to pry you and Akutsu off each other’s throats again.”

He wasn’t sure if they accepted his excuse, knew for a fact Renji didn’t, but then he had his suspicions about how Akutsu would have heard of the situation to begin with. His mate was a data player, after all. Regardless, nobody questioned him, so he marched off to find Hyoutei.

It was obvious that Atobe had already heard something. The moment he saw Sanada he stood up from where he had been sitting, striding towards Sanada. The loose tennis uniform only showed a hint of his rounded belly, but even that small hint made Sanada’s heart flip-flop in his chest. His mate. His child. His Atobe with eyes sparking with fury.

“You promised.” Atobe’s words were more or less a hiss, one hand grasping Sanada’s coat. “You promised me you’d leave it be.”

“And I kept my promise.” Sanada kept his voice level, quiet. He did not want anyone else to realize anything special was going on. “I swear on my blade, I didn’t go looking. I didn’t even share the information you gave me with anyone but Renji.”

“What happened, then?” Atobe leaned his head against Sanada’s shoulder, and Sanada realized the way his body trembled wasn’t entirely out of anger. “Who did it?”

“You weren’t the only one hurt, remember. And certainly not the only one at risk.” Sanada nuzzled at Atobe’s hair, breathed in the scent of his mate. “And I am not the only one with a mate to protect.”

“You know who.” There was no question in Atobe’s tone.

“Perhaps.” It was all he could say. “However, it wasn’t me, nor any of my players. All my regulars have been together all day. I didn’t even hear about it until just now.”

Atobe relaxed, if only a little, his rapid breathing coming to a calm. “Swear it.”

“I swear.” The promise was as easy as it was true. “I’ve got no pity for the bastard, but I had nothing to do with it. I would not do anything that could bring any harm on either you or our baby.”

“…Good.” Atobe leaned back, looking Sanada in the eye, but despite his pale face there was a smirk on his lips. “In that case… I have no reservations about being happy.”

It was, Sanada decided, all he could ever ask for.


	6. Naming the Child (Naming the Feeling)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atobe and Sanada are starting to address the more concrete parts of baby preparations. It seems about time to also address the state of their relationship.

“So, I’ve been thinking.” Atobe stole a fry from Sanada’s tray. Not that he minded, really, given that they had ordered extra just for that purpose. If anything, his instincts were making him feel terribly warm at the sight of his mate being well fed.

“I will hold back any snide comments.” Sanada smirked. “Let’s hear it, then.”

“Now that we know we’re having a girl, it’s about time for baby names.” Atobe snatched another fry. There was something rather endearing about seeing him act like a normal teenager. “I’d like the baby to have both a Japanese and an English name, like I do. So, you can pick a Japanese first name for her, and I’ll choose an English middle name.”

“You won’t mind that?” Sanada blinked. “Me choosing the first name, I mean?”

“The baby is going to be an Atobe. Seems fair that you’d get the first name.” Atobe shrugged, licking salt from his fingertips. Sanada tried not to stare too much. He must have failed at being subtle, since Atobe smirked. “Distracted?”

“Would there be any point in denying it?” He knew better than to think Atobe’s Insight was only useful on the tennis court.

“I suppose not, no.” Atobe smirked. “I suppose I’ll take it as a good sign. After all, having a mate who is actually interested in me is much better than the alternative.”

“Fishing for compliments? I never thought you would stoop to that.” Sanada snorted. “Yes, I find you attractive, and not just because I’ve managed to convince my instincts to view you as my mate. You are beautiful, interesting, hard-working, and intelligent. You are also terribly annoying at times, and I will probably never understand the way your mind works, but overall the pros outweigh the cons.”

“Such a sweet talker.” Atobe chuckled. "Don’t worry, I won’t expect you to say anything positive about me for the next three years or so. You must have used up all your emotional vocabulary for at least that long.”

“Hn.” Sanada joined Atobe in eating the fries, knowing he would be left entirely without otherwise. “Not quite, but I’m saving the rest of my words for the little lady.” To his surprise, there was no response. Looking up from the food, he found Atobe looking at him with a strange expression. “What?”

“That’s just… that’s just incredibly sweet.” Atobe grinned. “Even if you’re joking, the idea of you making sure you’ll have sweet words left for the baby is just adorable.”

“I’m not entirely heartless, you know.” Sanada shook his head. “I can’t say I will be very skilled at showing affection to either of you, but I will do my best to try.”

“Hey.” Atobe reached a hand over the table to touch Sanada’s. “Don’t push yourself if the words don’t come. I can see it in your actions, I promise.”

“You do see everything.” Sanada managed a faint smile. “Still, I do want to learn to express myself. After all, I can’t count on the baby to understand me without words.”

“You could always start practising now.” The grin on Atobe’s face was almost ominous. “I promise I won’t tell anyone about you speaking at my belly.”

“…Not in public.” Which wasn’t a no, and he was very aware of that.

*

“Stop frowning at the mirror. It’s never done you anything but favors, I’m sure.”

“Ah, the art of the backhanded compliment.” Atobe glanced at Sanada over his shoulder, giving him a wry smile. “I’m as wonderful as ever. I’m just not sure how to feel about all these changes.”

“You mean the belly?” Sanada walked closer, meeting Atobe’s eyes in the mirror, now. “I would have imagined you’d have figured out your feelings about that by now.” Sanada stepped behind him, reaching around Atobe to slide his hands along the curve of Atobe’s belly. If it had been anyone else Atobe might have lashed out, but Sanada’s hands felt… right. Secure and warm. Maybe it was the familiar scent, the one his brain had learned to think of as mate.

“Not that.” Atobe rolled his eyes but couldn’t resist a smile. “Are you seriously claiming you haven’t noticed anything else changing about my body?”

“Not really, no.” Sanada’s hands slid over his belly in small circles, the firm body warm behind his. “Besides this, you’re the same Atobe I’ve always known. Stubborn, strong and beautiful.”

“Flatterer.” Atobe snorted. “Well, since you’re already feeling your way around, try a bit higher.” As Sanada’s hands settled at the top of his belly, he shook his head. “No, higher.”

Sanada slid his hands up to Atobe’s chest, then blinked at him through the mirror. “I thought male omegas don’t grow breasts?”

“We don’t, not like women. We still nurse our babies, though, and my body is apparently getting ready for that.” Atobe chuckled. “Are you really telling me that never came up in all those books you have been reading?”

“There were mentions of possible breast growth, but I thought that only applied if, you know. There are breasts to grow.” Sanada froze all of a sudden, his hands still on Atobe’s chest. “Wait. Is — is this all right?”

Atobe resisted the urge to roll his eyes again. There was no reason to mock Sanada for trying to be considerate. “If I had a problem with your hands on my chest, I wouldn’t have told you to put them there.” He found Sanada’s eyes in the mirror, fixing them with a firm look. “I trust you. So far, you haven’t given me any reason not to do so.”

“I just don’t want to do anything to hurt you.” Regardless of Atobe’s words, Sanada slid his hands down until they settled at Atobe’s waist. Or what would have been his waist if it hadn’t turned into a balloon recently, at least. “I know you are strong and confident, but I also know some things can be… difficult.”

“Yes, they can. Remember how I reacted when Niou went too far?” At Sanada’s grimace, Atobe covered one of Sanada’s hands with one of his own. “Hey, don’t look like that, I’m not blaming you or anything like that. Just. I promise that if you ever do anything that bothers me, I’ll make my displeasure as clear as I did then.”

“Right. That sounds good.” Sanada hid his face in the crook of Atobe’s neck. “You are my mate. I want to make sure you are safe, even if it’s from me.”

“So very dramatic.” Atobe snorted, turning around to reach his arms arounod Sanada’s neck. “If you’re so worried of doing something to upset me, how about we practice some ways for you to please me instead?”

Sanada growled deep in his throat in response, a rumbling sound that utterly failed to scare Atobe and rather excited him instead.

*

“I can do that, you know.”

“Oh, be quiet.” Atobe huffed, standing up on his tiptoes to adjust the picture on the wall. “I am still not an invalid.”

“You aren’t, but your balance has been affected.” Not that Atobe let it slow him down, giving Sanada’s protective instincts a very thorough work-out every time he tried to climb the stairs with his usual confident strides or insisted on running on bumpy paths around the massive garden of his home with his mutt of a dog. By now the growing belly had forced him to slow down, but clearly Atobe was determined to make up for it in other ways to scare Sanada. “Please. I would be more than happy to hang the pictures wherever you want them.”

“I’m almost done anyway.” Atobe stepped back, taking another look at the cluster of pictures he had been arranging on the wall near the crib. “What do you think?”

“It seems fine to me.” Atobe was the one who was picky about this sort of stuff, anyway. There were a couple of pieces of his calligraphy already hanging on the walls of the nursery, so he was quite happy to let Atobe choose the various paintings and trinkets that decorated the rest of the space. “You know, I used to think nesting instincts were just a myth.”

Atobe snorted. “Last week you texted me at two in the morning because you found the perfect teddy bears to wear the Rikkai and Hyoutei shirts. You have no right to laugh at my instincts.”

“I wasn’t laughing.” Besides, the teddy bears were indeed perfect, one black and the other reflecting Atobe’s lighter hair. They were currently sitting at either end of the couch that had quickly become Sanada’s favorite spot in the lavishly equipped nursery. “Just pointing out there’s clearly more to it than just jokes.”

“Well, we don’t need to build an actual nest for the arriving baby anymore. It’s not exactly surprising our instincts would compensate in other ways.” Atobe spun around, not as fast or elegant as before his pregnancy but still very graceful. Extremely graceful for someone so heavily pregnant, even. “Though I’ll admit, I’ve been sleeping curled up under the covers for a while now. It just feels safer, somehow.”

“Whatever makes you happy.” Sanada stepped closer, gently cupping Atobe’s belly with his hands. “And, of course, whatever makes the little lady happy.”

“You know what would make us both even happier?”

Sanada blinked. That look in Atobe’s eyes meant he was scheming something. “…What?”

“Having you close while I sleep.” Atobe smirked, teasing, happy. There was no sign of hesitation or fear in the blue eyes, nothing but mirth and a certain kind of temptation. “And since it’s the weekend and neither of us has to be anywhere tomorrow… want to test that theory tonight?”

Sanada could think of a dozen different reasons to say no. However, all of them paled next to the one reason that was more important than anything else. This was Atobe, this was his mate, and Sanada wanted to be close to him. “I would ask if your parents will approve, but I suppose that’s a lost cause at this point.”

Atobe snorted. “I threw away any lingering attempts at propriety to make room for my hospital bag.” He linked his arms around Sanada’s neck, his belly a solid shape between them. “We are mates, are we not? And soon enough, we’ll be a family. I don’t know about you, but I’d rather like to add some more truth to that.”

“Atobe.” Sanada swallowed, suddenly overcome with a flood of emotions. “You are my mate. Never doubt that. Nothing could make that more true.” He leaned forward, catching Atobe’s lips with his own. “But yes, I would be extremely happy to hold you tonight.”

Atobe’s smile was brilliant, but his kisses were even better.

*

Atobe was woken by a kick.

This wasn’t the first time this had happened, and he was fairly certain it would not be the last. The baby was usually fairly quiet during the night, but every now and then she got active enough to wake him. Now he felt only the faintest flutters, so hopefully she would settle down soon.

He felt something warn nuzzling against his hair, and smiled to himself. Sanada was warm in the best of ways, pressed against Atobe’s back from head to toe. Now he was pressing his face into Atobe’s hair as though trying to scent him even in his sleep.

Atobe shifted, trying to find a position that would make the baby calm down. Apparently Sanada noticed this, as he murmured something slurred and half-awake in Atobe’s ear.

“It’s nothing,” Atobe murmured, pressing his back against Sanada’s chest. “A certain someone just woke me up.”

“Rude.” Sanada yawned into his ear, reaching an arm around Atobe. A hand settled on his belly, warm and heavy. “No kicking at night, little lady. Your poor papa needs all the sleep he can get.”

Atobe chuckled but didn’t complain. He wasn’t sure if Sanada’s admonishment actually did anything, but whether she had already been calming down or was was settled by the warm hand, the baby’s movements calmed to mere flutters. A moment later Sanada’s breathing returned to its sleepy pace, and Atobe found himself growing drowsy as well.

Clearly he had an excellent partner to help him through all this.


	7. A Lovely Little Lady (A Lovely Little Life)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Atobe and Sanada finally welcome their new arrival, and overcome some fears. Perhaps, the future will be just as happy.

There had been a time when Sanada had not even glanced at his phone during the school day.

This had, of course, been in the yonder years of Before Atobe. Now, he could barely make it through a class without checking his phone. Whenever he did check in between classes, there were always messages waiting for him. An awful lot of them seemed to be accusations about how Sanada’s child was trying to turn Atobe’s insides into a boxing ring.

Today, Atobe seemed awfully insistent, sending more messages than usual. Noticing Atobe had sent several messages during what should have been classtime, Sanada decided he should address this.

‘Everything all right?’

The response was immediate. Clearly Atobe had been holding the phone. ‘I’m bored.’

‘Classes not challenging enough?’ Which was a rather common complaint from Atobe, as it happened.

‘I didn’t go today. Have been feeling awful.’

Sanada frowned at his phone. Atobe did like to complain, but he rarely let his discomfort actually affect his life. ‘Should I repeat my question?’

‘Quit worrying, I’m fine. Just planning to track down and murder whoever decided to name these false contractions.’

Well. If Atobe still had the energy to be snarky, clearly things weren’t too awful. ‘Get some rest. I’ll be coming over for the weekend as soon as I can.’

‘You had better. I require back rubs.’

Sanada chuckled, tucking away his phone. Demanding Atobe was an ordinary Atobe.

For all the reassurances, he was feeling uneasy after their exchange. He felt the vibrations throughout the next couple of classes, until finally Atobe gave him a rest. Hopefully he’d managed to take a nap.

Apparently the nap wasn’t terribly long, though. Sanada got another text in the middle of his last class. A moment later, two more alerts followed in quick succession.

He should have waited until the break. A responsible student would have. However, Sanada had things to consider besides his school record, now, and he knew where his priorities lay at the moment. Carefully sliding his phone out of his pocket, he glanced down at it. As he saw the texts, though, he forgot any attempt at being subtle.

‘I don’t think these are false after all.’

‘I’m heading to the hospital with Papa. Might still be a false alarm, but I’d rather be safe than sorry.’

‘Call Father when you get off school, he’ll send a car to get you.’

“Sanada-kun?” The teacher’s voice broke him out of his shock. “Put your phone away at once. Being an alpha doesn’t mean this is not important for you to know.”

Sanada looked up at the teacher, then at the board. There were various diagrams on the board, accompanied by labels he didn’t really need. Male, female. Alpha, omega.

Heh. Atobe would probably appreciate the irony.

“Sir, I absolutely agree. Knowledge of human reproduction is essential to everyone, regardless of sex or dynamic.” He stood up, starting to quickly pack away his things. ”However, considering my mate is in labor, I’m going to suggest that for once, leaving class early is going to be more important to my understanding of the subject than anything you could possibly tell me.”

He did not wait to hear a response. Right now, nothing but Atobe mattered.

*

Sanada had to admit he still had some doubts when he was about to see his child for the first time.

For all that his instincts had approved Atobe as his mate, had made him protective and possessive, that did not necessarily mean they would accept the child as well. Not that he had any plans to back away, of course, he would support Atobe and the baby no matter what, but he did worry he might not be able to love the baby as completely as he should. After all, it was not his own flesh and blood, but rather sired by someone who had hurt his mate in the worst way possible.

Then a nurse settled a tiny, wrinkly little creature into his arms after a quick examination and clean-up, and Sanada very nearly forgot how to breathe.

She was small, much smaller than he remembered his nephew being, and settled easily in the crook of his elbow. Despite her tiny size she was a fully formed little human, with tiny dark lashes and tiny little fingers and a few fine strands of light hair on her head. Her mouth was moving in her sleep, lips pursing and then relaxing as though seeking to nurse, and one of her hands was trying to work its way into her mouth. Truly, Sanada had never seen anything so perfect.

Someone spoke up, and a growl erupted from his throat before he could stop it, his shoulders drawing up in an attempt to shield her form any intruders. A second later his mind caught up with his more primal urges, and he blinked, turning to look in the direction of the voice. What he found was Atobe giving him an exhausted smirk.

“Should I take that to mean you’ve bonded successfully?”

“Hn.” Sanada did his best not to flush, walking up to the side of the bed. “I suppose that would be correct.” It also made sense that he hadn’t been the only one with doubts in his mind, though it hadn’t occurred to him to wonder about it before.

“That’s good.” Atobe reached out his arms, and Sanada handed over the baby. A part of him was protesting at the mere idea of giving up the baby, but that was overwhelmed by the sheer rightness of seeing Atobe with their child in his arms. “Hi there, little one. Nice to meet you at last.”

The baby failed to respond, instead turning her head in apparent search of food. Atobe chuckled, adjusting her on his chest. Sanada wasn’t sure if she was actually nursing properly, but she certainly tried her best the moment she got her mouth on a nipple.

“She’s wonderful,” Sanada murmured, feeling as though he was going to burst if he didn’t say it. “You are wonderful.”

“Of course I am.” Atobe was obviously exhausted and sweaty, yet somehow he had never been more beautiful than when he smiled down at the baby. “I hope you’re happy with this particular example of my prowess, by the way, since I’m not going through this again any time soon. So if she’s to have any siblings, they’re years away.”

“Atobe.” Sanada set a hand on Atobe’s shoulders, leaning closer so he could lower his voice. “She is perfect. I am honored that you would allow me a claim to her and a part in her life. I am just as honored that you allow me to call you my mate. I have not made any demands of you so far, and I certainly do not plan to do so going forward.” He leaned in, pressing a light kiss to Atobe’s sweaty temple. Then, feeling he should do something to outweigh the heavy words, he added, “Besides, she is our child. I have a feeling we’ll have our hands full for years to come.”

“I would protest, but that would be rather dishonest of me.” Atobe smiled, leaning his head closer to Sanada. “So. Are you going to let me know the name you decided on?”

“Rei.” It had been in his mind for a while, but now, seeing her, he knew it was definitely right. “Written with the character for beautiful.”

“Rei Victoria. I like it.” Atobe nodded. “Now, perhaps you should let everyone know the news?”

“Fine.” He didn’t like the idea of leaving them right now, but he had to trust his mate and child were safe here, and in any case the nurses and doctors probably still had things to address with Atobe and the baby. “I’ll also try to keep any visitors at bay for the time being. You may be excellent at being charming, but I’m guessing even you need a moment’s rest right now.”

“My hero.” Atobe smiled at him so brilliantly Sanada couldn’t stop himself, leaning in for a quick kiss. He then pressed another kiss to Rei’s head before leaving, trying to ignore the flush spreading on his face.

At least he had absolutely no doubts about truly loving her, now.

***

It wasn’t that Sanada had expected to be the only one awake so early in the morning, not really. Rei seemed to think crack of dawn was a perfectly reasonable time to watch cartoons on a weekend morning, and while she usually didn’t wake before Sanada, it wasn’t exactly unheard of. When he finished his morning meditation and returned to the familiar noise of animated characters saving the world from slightly uglier animated characters, however, he heard someone moving in the kitchen.

“Keigo?” He blinked. His husband usually didn’t leave bed until much later on weekends, yet here he was, busy making a mess of the kitchen. At one time he’d wondered if Keigo would ever get used to not having a full kitchen staff at his beck and call, but it had turned out Keigo was a rather enthusiastic, if messy, cook. “Rei didn’t wake you up, did she? I gave her cereal and found her favorite show, she shouldn’t have had any reason to bug you.”

“No, I woke up all on my own. Omelette?”

“Ah. Thanks.” Sanada took his usual seat at the kitchen table, finding a cup of tea waiting for him. "Should I ask what all this is for?”

“What, I can’t even make sure my ridiculous husband doesn’t starve because he thinks breakfast can wait? For shame.” Keigo clicked his tongue. “I woke up and wanted to make breakfast, that’s all. I figured I should get ready for you to join me.”

“Far be it from me to complain, then.” Sanada sipped at his tea. “Though if you are buttering me up to do something for you, you can just ask.”

“Well, there is one thing.” Sanada suppressed the urge to smirk at having read his husband so well. “Could you pick up a pregnancy test or two? Considering the morning sickness woke me up at such an ungodly hour, I’m rather confident something should show.”

Sanada froze, lifting his gaze slowly to Keigo. He found no sign of a joke or teasing, merely a smile.

Sanada found his own mouth curving into a responding smile. Clearly, things were going to be more than fine.


End file.
